November 2018 Volume 6, Issue 4

Calendar of Events These are the major events of the year. For more information about these and other activities, or to sign up for events go to www.sangorgoniowilderness.org. February 8 Cucamonga Wilderness training 25 SGWA board meeting 27 Banff Mountain Film Festival March 1 Banff Mountain Film Festival 25 Board of Directors elections 29 LNT Awareness Day April 5 Trail boss training 12 Ranger talk training 29 Board meeting May 3 Whispering Pines cleanup 17 Volunteer training day 24 Trail patrols, ranger talks begin June 7 Thurman Flats cleanup 14 or 21 INFRA training July 5 Thurman Flats cleanup 5 Birthday Bash 4-5 Ranger talks August 2 Thurman Flats cleanup 16 Forest Festival 30 Volunteer potluck 31 Last ranger talk September 3 50th anniversary Wilderness Act

Questions?

SGWA Wraps Up Great Season By Bettye Miller SGWA wrapped up another successful season and celebrated at the annual awards potluck at the Barton Flats Visitor Center on Oct. 13. It was a soggy day with steady rain, but plenty of good food and laughter among the 50-plus volunteers who braved the chilly weather. Here are some highlights of the 2018 season: • Despite the Valley Fire in early July that resulted in the closure of all wilderness trails during the heart of the summer hiking season, SGWA volunteers donated more than 20,000 hours, a contribution which the U.S. Forest Service calculates is equivalent to more than $470,000. Nearly 200 volunteers contributed hours in service in the San Gorgonio and Cucamonga Wilderness areas, working to protect and clean the forest, to improve facilities and trails, and to help about 100,000 visitors better understand and enjoy the forest. See Great Season on page 3

Donors Give BIG to SGWA Give BIG San Bernardino County, the annual, fundraising drive that supports dozens of charities in the county, produced $2,343 for SGWA this year. Donors contributed $1,068, and SGWA won three $425 Golden Tickets, bonus awards chosen from among individuals who donated during each hour of the 24-hour campaign. To the 56 people who donated to SGWA during this campaign, we say THANK YOU!

Wilderness Link San Gorgonio Wilderness Association

Calendar of Events These are the major events of the year. For more information about these and other activities, or to sign up for events go to www.sangorgoniowilderness.org. November 27 Board meeting, officer elections December 15 Holiday party March 1-2 Banff Mountain Film Festival 26 Board meeting, director elections May 18 Volunteer orientation 25 Season begins

SGWA volunteers remove a large tree blocking the Dollar Lake Trail above South Fork Meadow. Photo by John Flippin

Save the Date! SGWA’s annual Holiday Party is Saturday, Dec. 15, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the home of Bob and Katherine Williams. Directions are available when you sign up on the volunteer calendar at sgwa.org. Family and friends are welcome. We will have a potluck and the ever-popular gift stealing. If you’d like to participate, please bring a gift worth $20. If you don't want to participate, that's OK; you will have a great time laughing at the goings-on.

Gifts to the San Gorgonio Wilderness Association help support our efforts to preserve the wilderness and the forest surrounding it. We are thankful for these supporters whose generosity makes it possible for us to further our mission to serve, protect and educate. If you would like to make a gift in memory of a loved one or to honor someone special please contact our office at (909) 382-2906, or visit our website at sgwa.org. Gifts may be mailed to: San Gorgonio Wilderness Association, 34701 Mill Creek Rd., Mentone, CA 92359 Corporate Boeing Edison International REI Rose Foundation Adventure 16 Lifetime Santa Ana River Cabins Assn. Bud Cole Brigitte Denver Bob Hazelton Bob Opperman Dan Scott Scott Warden Elick Bowler Family David Brisban Allan Chang David Knapp Peggy Manning Robert Oetzel Karen Saffle Jarome Wilson President’s Summit Team John Flippin Bob Oppermann Jim Sirick Gitty Denver Jae Sim George Bingham Anthony Cresap Jeffrey Fox Linda Griffith Jaimie LaPointe Robin Thuemler Amy Hui-ei Lewis Merges Bettye Miller David Jenkins Jim Hill

Amy Lieu Ted Sledzinski B.J. Withall Scott Warden Laurence Grill Suzanne Kirkwood Anthony Cresap Trail Blazer Kunaal Kumar Robin Thuemler Pat Peters Sheila McMahon Jonathan Baty George Bingham M. Diefenbach Philip Papadopoulos Linda Reynolds Marianne Shuster Marjorie Stein Aleta Vienneau Adventure 16 Patch of the Month George Bingham Individual Robert Messinger David Schumacher Jonathan Anderson Dulcie Becerra Martin Elliott Lisa Good Charity Hagen Viviane Helmig David Jenkins Julianna Johnson Bo King Merrill King Suzanne Kirkwood Anna Lee Tom McCurnin Danny Perez

Shelly Reeder Starla Rivers Lauren Roos Patricia Shearer Sound Management James Spee Frank Sprinkle Ann-Marie Stauble Norman Togashi Robert Toltowicz Stephen Wolden Lynn Wolden In memory of Roger Gossett Ann Robinson

Give Big San Bernardino County Mike Hawker Albert Lee David Bratt Paul Lambert Jennifer Bowles Bettye Miller Sharon Swann Lonnie Yett Kristy Loufek Valerie Silva Sung Yoo Ted Schofield Gina Griffith Jennifer Todd Cynthia Johnson Kathy Jaffe Cynthia Greyraven Chris Sobek Liz Levis Melinda Garcia Sara Morgan

Fall is my favorite time of year in the mountains. The weather is crisp, but not cold, the trees are golden and the trails are quiet. It’s a good time to reflect on the past year and what next year holds for us. Last year SGWA volunteers contacted over 100,000 visitors, giving them information that would help their mountain experiences. Volunteers have a wealth of knowledge about the area – most have hiked the trails, and know of special areas of interest that would suit the needs of the visitors. Visitors are always fun to talk to because they have their own experiences to share and that increases our knowledge. We keep trails free of trees, trash and hazards to further their experience. Next year we will continue informing the public – we have some new ideas for programs for children and some new Greyback Amphitheater programs coming up. We also expect more trail work, especially in the Lake Fire burn area. We anticipate more of the burned trees falling during the winter storms. Soon we will have spring and beautiful wildflowers. My second favorite season. We are looking forward to meeting new volunteers in May at our orientation and greeting returning volunteers once again.

Great Season Continued from page 1

• We picked up 709 bags of trash, cleaned up 79

illegal fire rings, and removed more than 120 trees from the trails. The presence of SGWA volunteers in uniform is no doubt a deterrent to littering and resource damage in the forest. • Trail volunteers cleared and repaired more than 37,500 feet of trail in the San Gorgonio Wilderness and the Cucamonga Wilderness, removing humongous trees blocking the way and hauling tons of rock and dirt – by hand – to rebuild trails damaged by rain and heavy use. • Interpretive programs educated more than 2,000 visitors about fire safety, Leave No Trace ethics, and the plants and animals that inhabit the forest. The Barton Flats Visitor Center served 5,500 people, many of them families who attended the popular series of afternoon nature talks called Lunch and Lemonade. • Volunteers at the Big Falls Recreation Area talked to more than 25,000 visitors, and front desk staff at the Mill Creek Ranger Station assisted more than 10,000 visitors. Several volunteers participated in surveying Heritage Sites, confirming and identifying artifacts for the Forest Service and Santa Ana Watershed Project. • SGWA also hosted the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour, with over 1,100 people in attendance over two nights. • We also held four cleanup days at Thurman Flats Picnic Area and Big Falls, and helped the San Bernardino National Forest host the Wilderness Ranger Academy, a three-day event presented by the Forest Service that attracts participants from all over California to get certified in cross cut saw, LNT principles, wilderness first aid, and stock use.

The Wilderness Link is published quarterly by the San Gorgonio Wilderness Association.

Editor: Bettye Miller Contributors this issue: John Flippin, Val Silva

Submit story ideas and photos to sgwa@earthlink.net

or gorgoniogal@gmail.com

Director’s Desk

Val Silva

Coming Back to

Fish Creek Trail By John Flippin The Fish Creek Trail (FCT) is in the area hardest hit by the 2015 Lake Fire. SGWA volunteer trail crews took on the huge task of rebuilding and clearing the trail beginning with a detailed trail maintenance survey and flagging on Sept. 8, 2018. To make public access safer, a Forest Service contractor is nearly finished removing hundreds of burned dead trees along the long dirt road going into the trailhead. So far, lower FCT up to the Fish Creek Camp-ground has been cleared. This took four days by 16 volunteers – David Bratt, Lorne Cheeseman, Bud Cole, John Flippin, Diana Gossard, Eileen Hay, Cliff Heck, Kristy Loufek, Lewis Merges, Manish Pagey, Steve Peach, Michael San Filippo, Shawn Sisler, Robin Thuemler, Lex Willard, and Bob Williams. Burned trees in the area have had over three years to begin rotting inside and are becoming much more apt to fall over in high winds. This has resulted in dozens of trees across the trail between the trailhead and Fish Creek Saddle. A trail crew went out on Oct. 27 to finish clearing lower FCT. So far, the FCT work has included removing 18 trees across the trail, redefining over a mile of trail that was completely lost to three years of overgrowth and erosion, filling in two large burned-out root-ball holes on the edge of the trail, and cutting back brush and low tree limbs on about 300 yards of trail in several sections. Both the Fish Creek Camp and Fish Creek Saddle Camp areas miraculously escaped any fire damage. Hopefully by next summer, the FCT gate will be open to the public again. We look forward to having happy campers there again.

Volunteers with the

Mostest – Hours, That Is Three SGWA volunteers topped 600 hours of service in 2018. They are:

Mike Bigness, 900+ hours, who is a familiar sight at Big Falls, where he organized cleanup projects, directed traffic in the congested parking lot, and counseled visitors on where to hike

safely. He also put in appearances as Smokey Bear. Teddi Boston, SGWA treasurer, 1,100+ hours, who cleaned the grounds and interacted with visitors at the Barton Flats Visitor Center. Teddi’s solo through-hike on the PCT more than 40

years ago was the subject of a Ranger Talk. Bob Williams, 700+ hours, served as SGWA’s volunteer coordinator and on the Board of Directors. He is well-known for his work on numerous trail projects, both in logistical planning and record-keeping, and as an active

participant in ongoing efforts to clear and repair miles of trail.

Service Recognition Five SGWA volunteers celebrated milestone anniversaries in 2018.

Val Silva, SGWA executive director, joined SGWA 35 years ago. She helped recruit equestrians to patrol wilderness trails, and regularly packs tools, water, and other supplies to

help trail crews working in some of the most remote areas of the wilderness. She and her late husband, Danny, joined together, and granddaughter Cassidy has been a volunteer for more than 15 years.

Phebe Baty has donated more than 3,500 hours over 30 years. She has served on the SGWA Board of Directors, patrolled wilderness trails, and volunteered at the Barton Flats

Visitor Center and Mill Creek Front Desk. She is well-known at the Forest Festival for her baskets woven from pine needles and raffia.

What is there to say about a volunteer who generously shares his culinary skills at potlucks except, “When do we eat?” Jim Sirick has served SGWA for 30 years and contributed more than 1,500 hours.

He is a founding board member and has patrolled wilderness trails. More recently he has developed a reputation as a creative chef and master of the grill.

Over 25 years Sandy Messner has donated more than 3,200 hours to SGWA. She has volunteered for wilderness patrols, staffed interpretive activities at Horse Meadows, and answered visitor

questions at the Barton Flats Visitor Center, the Mill Creek Front Desk, and the Forest Festival. She also has served on the SGWA Board of Directors.

When Walter Roth talks about rattlesnakes, kids and adults take notice. A natural at nature talks, the certified naturalist is a popular presenter of programs about

rattlesnakes and the geology of the San Bernardino Mountains. He has donated more than 1,500 hours in 20 years with SGWA, volunteering for trail patrols, trail maintenance, and serving as coordinator of Ranger Talks at the Greyback Amphitheater.

Outstanding Chipmunks Three first-year SGWA volunteers distinguished themselves with significant hours of service during the 2018 season.

John Howell donated more than 300 hours in his first year volunteering with SGWA, all of it patrolling wilderness trails. Jan Pettit did a bit of everything as she contributed more than 125 hours this year. She did trail work, patrolled trails, and helped at the Barton Flats Visitor Center and the Forest Festival. Roxanne Smith logged more than 300 hours, volunteering for trail work, trail patrols, staffing the Barton Flats Visitor Center, and welcoming visitors at the Forest Festival.

Photo by Michael San Filippo

SGWA bid farewell in October to board President Mike Roloff and his wife, Emily, who moved out of California. Mike appeared in 2010 like a whirlwind in the Mill Creek office to become a volunteer with SGWA. Those of you who know Mike know that he is non-stop, busy, and gets things done. Because of his exuberant personality Mike earned the nickname “BUBBLES.” It fits him. Since that epic appearance in 2010 Mike donated well over 4,000 hours to SGWA. He brought a lot of experience with him, having been active in the Angelus Oaks area with fire prevention and wilderness hiking. He worked with the USFS as a recreation patrol in both Lytle Creek and the Angeles National Forest.

SGWA was fortunate to have Mike as SGWA president for 2018. During that time he did a great job of keeping things bubbly. In addition to his presidential duties, he also organized the Thurman Flats cleanup projects, and volunteered at the Mill Creek Ranger Station, Barton Flats Visitor Center, and Big Falls Recreation Area. He and Emily also did trail patrols. We will miss them very much.

Board of Directors Elects

Officers for 2019 The SGWA Board of Directors elected officers for 2019 at the Nov. 27 meeting. They are: Bettye Miller, president; Rex Philpot, vice president; Dee McCoy, secretary; and Teddi Boston, treasurer. Election of board directors will take place at the March 26 meeting. Individuals interested in joining the board may contact the board at sgwa@earthlink.net.

SGWA San Gorgonio Wilderness Association 34701 Mill Creek Road Mentone, CA 92359 P: (909) 382-2906 F: (909) 794-1125 E: sgwa@earthlink.net sgwa-dd@earthlink.net www.sgwa.org

Serve Protect Educate

President’s Corner

Mike Roloff